Ankeny, WDM Valley Will Clash in Tonight's State Semifinals

The Ankeny football team is one game away from a shot at the Class 4A state title and to get there, players will have to fight with everything they have.

The Hawks will meet undefeated West Des Moines Valley tonight at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls in the semifinal round of the Iowa high school state football playoffs.

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

The Hawks (11-1) and the Tigers never met this season and although Valley's spotless record seems to add up to some daunting odds for the Hawks, Ankeny High School students are confident their players will bring home a win.

Ankeny head coach Jerry Pezzetti told Patch Wednesday he’s been spending all week making sure the team is ready to face Valley, arguably its biggest challenge of the season.

For Pezzetti, the key to the game is turnovers. He believes that if the Hawks limit their mistakes and control the ball, they’ve got a chance to win.

“We’re going to play smart, and play hard,” Pezzetti said. “If there’s a mistake, we’re just going to have to bounce back and take care of it.”

Last week, the Hawks to the state championship game in a 27-17 victory.

On the field, Ankeny's Sam Gonzalez single-handedly drained any spark the Rams had. Gonzalez kept constant pressure on Southeast Polk quarterback Kyle Starcevich, leaving him with little time to orchestrate an offensive drive.

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It's that simple. See you tonight!